A sharp glint flared in its eyes, which then seemed clouded with confusion, as if everything around it was unfamiliar and unrecognizable.

Lightning shook its head and glanced around. Seeing Zhang Yang, it paused slightly, then broke into obvious delight. A white shadow flashed, and Lightning leaped directly onto Zhang Yang. As soon as it landed, even Lightning itself was startled. The speed of that jump was far greater than any before.

“Congratulations, Lightning!”

Zhang Yang patted the creature on his shoulder, smiling brilliantly. He was genuinely ecstatic. Lightning was the first spirit beast to follow him; in fact, they had started as enemies, and he had nearly died at Lightning’s claws. Yet, fate played its tricks, and destiny brought them together. It was fortunate that Zhang Yang had shown compassion back then and spared Lightning’s life; otherwise, this great reward would never have materialized.

One could say that without Lightning, there would be no Wuying, as it was Lightning that discovered Wuying. Without Wuying, the outcome of the battle against the Five-Crowned Golden Python might have been different; Wuying had helped them resist the python’s poison. Similarly, without Lightning and Wuying, there would have been no Zhuifeng, and both spirit beasts played crucial roles in saving Zhuifeng. In a sense, among the three spirit beasts, the bond between Zhang Yang and Lightning was the most special.

Later, when Wuying and Zhuifeng advanced simultaneously at Yinlong Mountain, the three spirit beasts, whose strengths were previously comparable, suddenly showed a clear disparity. Zhang Yang saw the effort and occasional frustration Lightning displayed, but beyond providing spirit herbs, he could offer no other assistance. Spirit beast advancement differed from human advancement, and though Zhang Yang longed for Lightning to reach the next level soon, he felt utterly powerless. Now, Lightning had finally taken that crucial step, advancing to the Fourth Layer, leaving no room for regret in his heart.

Zhang Yang was sincerely happy for Lightning. A Fourth Layer Fox-tailed Marten was exceedingly rare; these creatures had short lifespans, precluding them from reaching very high levels. If Lightning hadn't been with Zhang Yang, this swift advancement would likely have been impossible.

“Squeak, squeak, squeak!”

At this moment, Lightning finally understood what had happened and began chirping excitedly. As a venomous beast, its evolution regarding toxicity benefited far more from its own nature than from consuming spirit herbs. Coupled with its peak at the Third Layer, the venomous gall of that massive Ten-Crowned Golden Python ultimately pushed it past this threshold. However, because it had not been fully conscious during the advancement process, it hadn't realized it was now a Fourth Layer spirit beast upon waking. Only after leaping onto Zhang Yang did it detect the change within itself; an inspection confirmed its new level. This was Lightning’s greatest desire up to this point, and its unexpected fulfillment caused it to chirp incessantly, utterly thrilled.

“Someone is coming?”

Ahua suddenly spoke up, and Ahcai’s expression grew solemn. Both parrots took flight simultaneously, soaring into the air.

“Someone?”

Zhang Yang was slightly taken aback but immediately unfolded his Heaven and Earth energy. Ahua’s words were never wrong, but he couldn't fathom who would venture into the deepest parts of the Savage Mountains. Anyone who reached this place was hardly ordinary, and if they were truly common folk, the parrots would not have paid them such attention.

After sensing for a moment, Zhang Yang shook his head slightly. He could not yet control much of the Heaven and Earth energy, making it difficult to use for distant reconnaissance; relying on hearing and instinct was better.

“Two people, ten li out. Neither is weak!”

Ahua and Ahcai quickly descended, speaking softly but with much more relaxed expressions, both looking at Zhang Yang.

“You can detect people ten li away?”

This time, Zhang Yang was astonished. Even now, at the Great Perfection stage of the Mid-Fourth Layer, he could barely detect someone until they were within two or three li. Beyond that range, he sensed nothing. This was only now; before coming to the Savage Mountains, his range hadn't even reached one li. The parrots clearly flew up after detecting the arrivals, meaning they sensed people over ten li distant. That was terrifyingly impressive.

“We know because of the communication arrays Master set up around here; that’s how we knew!”

The parrots’ explanation brought a flicker of realization to Zhang Yang’s face as he murmured, “Communication arrays—I see!”

Communication arrays were a branch of Qimen Dunjia, primarily used for relaying messages. They blended perfectly with the surrounding environment and possessed no offensive capabilities, but anyone passing through them immediately sent a signal to the user. The parrots were receiving information via these arrays, which resolved Zhang Yang’s confusion. If they had sensed the arrivals naturally, he would never have believed it.

As he nodded in understanding, Zhang Yang suddenly turned his head in astonishment. In the time they had been talking, the two approaching figures were already in sight; their speed was remarkable. What shocked Zhang Yang was that he was not unfamiliar with these two; in fact, he knew them intimately: Zhang Pinglu and Zhang Yunan had arrived.

“It’s people from the Medical Saint lineage. Zhang Yang, we won’t see them. Cultivate well and break through to the Fifth Layer soon!”

The two parrots took flight. Before leaving, they left that final word and quickly retreated into the cave. They treated Zhang Yang differently, but others remained the same; even if the arrivals were Zhang Pinglu, a Great Perfection master, it made no difference. In their eyes, Zhang Pinglu, an established Great Perfection master, couldn't compare to Zhang Yang—this wasn't about current strength, but potential. One was incapable of advancing to the Fifth Layer, while the other held great hope and the capacity for swift advancement. This comparison placed them clearly apart.

They had recognized Zhang Pinglu and Zhang Yunan’s identities just moments before, which was why they relaxed. Ahua and Ahcai had excellent memories and remembered anyone who had visited once. Zhang Pinglu had been here long ago, staying three days before leaving. Zhang Yunan had also visited, though only for a day. Both had introduced themselves, revealing they belonged to the Medical Saint lineage, just like Zhang Yang.

“Yangyang?”

Just as the parrots vanished inside, Zhang Pinglu and Zhang Yunan appeared within sight. Zhang Pinglu seemed slightly anxious.

“Old Master, Uncle, what brings you here?”

Zhang Yang rushed forward, feigning surprise. Upon seeing Zhang Yang, both visitors seemed to exhale in relief.

“Your friend Long Cheng called Xiaoxue, saying you were missing, and they are currently leading a search party outside. Mi Xue told your uncle, and we rushed over immediately!” Zhang Pinglu explained softly, a hint of reprimand in his tone.

Zhang Yang froze momentarily, instantly understanding. He had been gone too long. Long Cheng, waiting for him outside, had panicked. Otherwise, given his nature, he wouldn’t have called Mi Xue and alarmed Zhang Yang’s family. But then again, this outing had been exceptionally long—a full seventeen days, eighteen counting the first day. With no information for such an extended period, Long Cheng was bound to worry. Not to mention the massive disturbance that occurred in the Savage Mountains the night Zhang Yang left.

“It’s my fault. I was so absorbed in my research here that I lost track of time!” Zhang Yang admitted with a wry smile. He could imagine the anxiety outside, how difficult things must have been for both Long Cheng and Mi Xue. This time had indeed dragged on—a full eighteen days. By the third day, Li Ya and Wang Chen were already agitated, and Town Chief Wang had repeatedly inquired whether they should send search parties into the mountains. As people who lived near the Savage Mountains, Town Chief Wang understood the internal dangers better. Ultimately, Long Cheng forcefully suppressed the rising chaos, telling everyone not to worry, that Zhang Yang would be fine in the mountains, and they should wait patiently outside.

On the fifth day, Su Zhantao, Huang Hai, and Chang Feng also grew anxious. Su Zhantao knew a bit about Zhang Yang, while Chang Feng and the others were steadier, but five days alone in the primeval forest—even they became deeply concerned. By the seventh day, Yan Yefei could no longer sit still. Despite knowing Zhang Yang was an Inner Strength cultivator with profound martial arts, he was deeply worried. After all, anything could happen in the primeval forest, and he had never truly witnessed Zhang Yang’s prowess. At this point, Long Cheng could still maintain order, though he too was anxious beneath the surface. These days, they took turns calling Zhang Yang’s phone, and Town Chief Wang had his men patrol the mountain edges daily, hoping to find a trace, but they found nothing.

By the tenth day, Long Cheng could no longer suppress everyone’s anxiety. Town Chief Wang began leading the joint defense team into the mountains to search, and Su Zhantao and the others joined the search. After five days of fruitless searching in the mountains, even the usually steady Long Cheng became unsettled and finally called Mi Xue.

Mi Xue panicked upon receiving the call, but fortunately, Long Feng emerged from seclusion and learned of the situation. Long Feng was aware of Zhang Yang’s strength, and with Zhuifeng and the others, few in this world could harm him. As for ordinary people, aside from powerful missiles, standard firearms posed no threat to Zhang Yang. Long Feng remained calm; he knew if Zhang Yang were truly in danger, their intervention would be useless.

Finally, Long Feng persuaded Mi Xue not to fall into panic, and they came to the town together to grasp the full situation. Upon learning that the Golden Python carcass was unexpectedly missing, and hearing from Long Cheng about the significant commotion when Zhang Yang left, Long Feng immediately understood that the events that night must have involved Zhang Yang, though the specifics remained unclear. Regardless, this was beyond their capacity to handle. Therefore, he contacted Zhang Yunan, explained everything, and requested Old Master Zhang Pinglu to come personally, reasoning that if Zhang Yang encountered an enemy he couldn't face, his own appearance would be pointless.

As for Zhang Yang’s safety, Long Feng remained entirely confident. Even if they couldn't win the fight, with Zhuifeng present, they could escape. Few in this world could match their speed; even Great Perfection masters couldn't catch them.

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